3525 
MI9rcr 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Irving  Pichel 


A  MASQUE  OF  THE  RED  CROSS 
By  PERCY  MACKAYE 


IMPORTANT  NOTICE 

This  masque  may  readily  be  produced  in  small 
communities,  with  amateurs  taking  the  leading 
parts. 

In  preparing  the  instructions  and  suggestions  in 
the  appendix,  it  has  been  necessary  to  make  pro 
vision  for  great  productions  in  large  cities,  but  by 
a  judicious  elimination  of  such  items  as  are  im 
practicable  in  the  smaller  towns, 'the  masque  may 
be  effectively  done,  on  a  modest  scale,  by  a  limited 
number  of  people. 

Concerning  materials  needed  to  produce  the 
masque,  which  will  be  furnished  at  cost  by  the 
Ito  (Ero0H  OtyrtBtmaa  28all  (Ball  see  ANNOUNCE 
MENT  on  last  page  of  this  volume. 


$*&&*,  ^  % 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


A  Masque  of  the  Red  Cross 


(Eall 

NATIONAL  HEADQUARTERS 

AMERICAN  RED  CROSS 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

1918 


Copyright,  1918,  by 
PERCY  MACKAYE 


All  Rights  Reserved 


NOTE:  For  information  concerning  the  right 
to  produce  this  Masque,  address  Red  Cross 
Christmas  Roll  Call,  The  American  Red  Cross, 
National  Headquarters,  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
see  Announcement  on  last  page  of  this  book. 


"PS 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


A  Masque  of  the  Red  Cross  for 
Community  Acting  and  Singing 

by 
PERCY  MACKAYE 

With  Scenic  and  Costume  Designs 

by 
ROBERT  EDMOND  JONES 

and  Cover  Design  by 
ARNOLD  GENTHE 


Together  with 

AN  APPENDIX  OF  INSTRUCTIONS  AND 

SUGGESTIONS   CONCERNING  THE  PRODUCTION 

OF  THE  MASQUE 

written  by 
the  AUTHOR  and  SCENIC  DESIGNER  and 

IRVING  PICHEL 
Director     of     the     initial 
production  at  Washington 


PREFACE 

At  the  invitation  of  the  American  Red  Cross, 
National  Headquarters,  Washington,  this  Masque 
has  been  written,  with  the  aim  in  particular  of 
serving  the  cause  of  the  ?R*&  (Cruflfl  Qlljristmaa  Hull 
(Eall — the  enrolling  of  Universal  Membership  under 
the  Red  Cross — and  in  general  of  providing  a  dra 
matic  expression  of  the  Red  Cross  Spirit  useful  to 
its  world-wide  organization  at  any  time. 

For  this  purpose,  it  aims  by  its  construction  to  be 
of  service  anywhere  to  communities,  large  or  small, 
on  a  scale  modest  or  elaborate  according  to  local 
conditions. 

In  order  to  render  its  production  the  more  prac 
tical  and  simple,  the  text  here  printed  is  followed 
by  an  Appendix  containing  explicit  designs  in  color, 
together  with  comments  regarding  such  details  of 
acting,  lighting,  setting,  music,  costumes,  etc.,  as 
seem  pertinent  and  suggestive. 

A  growing,  vital  ideal  of  education  in  our  new 
age  urges  the  principle  that  all  who  seek  to  under 
stand  and  grasp  the  essentials  of  their  environment 
— whether  in  trade,  labor,  art,  government,  or  the 
great  social  movements  of  our  time — shall  person 
ally  share  and  take  some  definite  part  in  doing  that 
which  they  aim  to  understand. 

That  principle — participation — is  the  prime  mo 
tive  of  community  drama. 

To  take  positive,  voluntary  part  in  creating  and 
interpreting  a  dramatic  production  imbued  with  a 
large  human  theme,  quickens  the  interest  and  imag- 


vn 


PREFACE. 

ination  of  the  participator  with  fresh  understand 
ings  of  its  theme  in  ways  more  deep  and  enduring 
than  any  mere  negative  witnessing  of  a  play,  read 
ing  of  a  story,  listening  to  a  lecture,  or  studying 
of  a  treatise,  created  and  developed  wholly  apart 
from  his  own  initiative. 

To  the  unnumbered  workers  for  the  Red  Cross, 
their  own  share  of  service  in  that  great  social 
organism  is  a  kind  of  educating  experience  based 
essentially  in  this  vital  principle — participation. 

It  has  seemed,  therefore,  to  the  writer  that  the 
kind  of  expression  in  art  peculiarly  adapted,  by 
kinship,  to  the  use  and  inspiration  of  such  workers 
is  the  form  of  community  drama — a  manifold  form, 
capable  of  infinite  variety. 

So  it  is  with  the  relish  of  a  sincere  hope,  and  with 
a  quick  sense  of  the  high  privilege  conferred  on 
him,  that  he  submits  to  their  use  the  simple  experi 
ment  of  this  community  Masque. 

PERCY  MACKAYE. 
New  York:  23  October,  1918. 


CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTORY 

PAGE 

PREFACE vii 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS x 

PERSONS  AND  GROUPS xi 

CHORUSES   xii 

TEXT  OF  THE  MASQUE 
In  a  Prelude,  Ten  Actions  and  an  Epilogue 

PRELUDE.    THE  DOORWAY i 

I.     MOTHER  AND  DAUGHTERS 3 

II.     SHADOWS  OF  THE  DESPOILER •'  -  jr. 

III.  THE  DESPOILER 10 

IV.  "  LONELY  AND  STARLESS  " 13 

V.     ALL  HEARTS 17 

VI.    THE  SONS 23 

VII.    "  MAGIC  OF  MERCY  " 30 

VIII.     "  LIGHT  OF  NEW  WORLDS  " 35 

IX.    THE  RED  CROSS 37 

X.    THE  DRUMS 40 

EPILOGUE.    THE  ROLL  CALL 42 

APPENDIX 
Instructions  and  Suggestions  by  Percy  MacKaye,  Concerning 

I.    COMMUNITY  SONG-OVERTURE 45 

II.     COMMUNITY  SONG-FINALE 45 

III.  INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  MASQUE 46 

IV.  PRODUCTION  47 

Instructions  and  Suggestions  by  Robert   Edmond  Jones, 
Concerning 

I.    COSTUMES  AND  MASKS 54 

II.     SETTING  AND  LIGHTING 56 

PRODUCTION  NOTES,  BY  IRVING  PICHEL 61 

ANNOUNCEMENT  65 

ix 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PLATE  FACING  PAGB 

1.  /.     GROUND-PLAN i 

II.    SCENES 

2.  STAGE  SETTING  OF  THE  "  THE  ROLL  CALL  " .Frontispiece 

PLATE  FACING  PAGE 

3.  TABLEAU  OF  THE  DESPOILER 14 

4.  TABLEAU  OF  ALL  HEARTS 36 

///.    COSTUMES 

PLATE  FACING  PAGB 

5.  MOTHER    4 

6.  DESPOILER 10 

7.  ALL  HEARTS 50 

8.  RAPINE,   TERROR 6 

9.  HATE,  HUNGER 8 

10.  POVERTY,  PAIN,  PESTILENCE 16 

11.  DAUGHTER,  HERALDS 54 

12.  CHILD,  CHORUS,  CHILD-SPIRIT  OF  PITY 52 

IV.    INSIGNIA 

PLATE  PAGE 

13.  PAGEANT.     INSIGNIA    I  (MAIN  DIVISIONS) 57 

14.  PAGEANT.     INSIGNIA  II    (SUB-GROUPS) 59 


PERSONS  AND  GROUPS 

(In  the  Order  of  their  Appearance) 

SPEAKING  PERSONS 

THE  MOTHER 

THE  DAUGHTERS 
Girl 
Young  Woman 

THE  DESPOILER 

THE  SONS 

Soldier 

Sailor 

Laborer 

Aviator 
ALL  HEARTS 

PANTOMIMIC  PERSONS  AND  GROUPS 

THE  CHILDREN 
Boy 
Girl 

FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  DESPOILER 
(Men) 

Terror 

Rapine 

Hunger 

Hate 
(Women) 

Pestilence 

Pain 

Poverty 

FOLLOWERS  OF  ALL  HEARTS 
(Men  Heralds) 

Courage 

Mercy 

Reason 

Love 
(Children  Attendants) 

Pities 

xi 


PAGEANT  FOLLOWERS  OF  COURAGE 

BANNER-BEARER  OF  OVERSEAS  DIVISION 

Reconstruction  Groups,  with  Banner-Bearers 
Hospital  Hut  Groups,  with  Banner-Bearers 
Etc. 

PAGEANT  FOLLOWERS  OF  MERCY 

BANNER-BEARER  OF  NURSES  DIVISION 

Nurses  Groups,  with  Banner-Bearers 

Nurses    Assistant    Groups,  with   Banner-Bearers 

Etc. 

PAGEANT  FOLLOWERS  OF  REASON 

BANNER-BEARER  OF  ACTIVE  SERVICE   DI 
VISION 

Canteen  Groups,  with  Banner-Bearers 

Motor     Corps     Groups,     with     Banner-Bearers 

Etc. 

PAGEANT  FOLLOWERS  OF  LOVE 

BANNER-BEARER  OF  PRODUCTION 
DIVISION 

Surgical  Dressings  Groups,  with  Banner-Bearers 
Knitting  Groups,  with  Banner-Bearers 
Etc. 

CHILDREN  HERALDS 

JUNIOR  WORKERS  DIVISION,  WITH  BAN 
NER-BEARERS 

DRUMMERS 
TRUMPETERS 

CHORUSES 

I.     (Women's  Voices  only)  :  Chorus  of  Womanhood. 
II.     (Mixed  Voices,  with  Soprano  Solo):  Chorus  of  the 
All-Forsaken. 

III.  (Mixed  Voices)  :  The  Power  of  Gentleness. 

IV.  (Mixed  Voices)  :  Chorus  of  All  Hearts. 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


Xlll 


OTSKt 


1 


STEPS 


GROUND  SPACE 


COMMUNITY 
CHORUS 


1 


£> 

i 


GROUND  PLAN 


PRELUDE 
(The  Doorway) 

IN  the  background,  a  GREAT  DOORWAY  rises  in 
shadow,  its  massive  gray  doors  closed. 
In  the  foreground,  on  either  side,  a  GATE, 
lesser  in  size,  is  lit  by  a  lantern  above. 

Between  the  DOORWAY  and  GATES,  walls — hung 
with  gray — shut  in  an  oblong  space  (forming  the 
stage),  at  the  centre  of  which  a  low  seat  is  raised 
the  height  of  one  step  by  a  larger  dais. 

From  the  entire  length  of  the  oblong  space, 
broad  steps  descend  to  the  assembly  place  of  the 
audience,  through  which  four  aisles  lead  to  the  open 
ground-space  in  front  of  the  steps. 

Facing  this  space,  at  centre,  between  the  two 
nearer  aisles,  is  the  place  of  the  COMMUNITY 
CHORUS. 

From  there,  before  the  action  begins,  WOMEN 
VOICES  of  the  CHORUS  are  heard  singing,  to  a 
pensive  music,*  cadenced  like  the  measure  of  soft, 
slow  footfalls. 

THE    CHORUS 
Earth!    How    dreamily 
Ope     thy    Doors     of    Life!    — 
Dark     and     silently 
Close    thy     Gates    of    Death! 

'By     thy     shadow'd    porch 
Waits     our     Womanhood: 
Far,     on     alien     paths, 
War     our     battle     hosts. 


*  The  Twentieth  Prelude  of  Chopin,  with  slow  cadence. 

I 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


When,     ah,     when  —  between 
Dark     and     dark    —  shall     our 
Yearning  Mother-Love 
Weld    all    hearts    of    Manf 


FIRST   ACTION 
(Mother    and    Daughters) 

WHEN  the  Action  begins,  the  stage  is  silent 
and  shadowy. 
Then,  sounding  far  off  and  muffled — en 
circling  the  entire  audience  with  a  rhythmic  rumbling 
— DRUMS  begin  to  roll.     At  first  hardly  audible, 
their  low  beating  quickens  faintly  louder,  holds  a 
sustained    moment    of    murmurous    thunder,    and 
wanes  again  more  slowly  away  into  silence. 

With  the  first  rumbling  sound,  one  of  the  great 
doors  opens  a  narrow  slit  and,  through  dim  light 
from  behind,  the  form  of  a  WOMAN  enters — a 
Figure  nobly  tall  and  graciously  maternal. 

Clad  in  black,  a  grey-black  veil  flows  behind  and 
about  her  shoulders,  sheltering  below  the  forms  of 
two  half-nude  CHILDREN  in  white — who  cling  to 
her.  On  the  smocks  of  the  Children,  in  rust-hued 
red,  the  imprint  of  a  huge  hand  is  vaguely  out 
lined. 

As  the  Woman  comes  slowly  forward,  with  them, 
and  sits  on  the  low  dais-seat,  two  other  FEMALE 
FORMS,  clad  in  grey,  glide  through  the  closing  door, 
and  approach  on  either  side. 

On  the  robe  of  each,  below  her  left  breast,  in  rusty 
red,  the  same  huge  imprint  of  a  hand  is  visible. 

One  of  them,  a  lithe  GIRL,  pauses — listening — 
and  speaks  to  the  seated  Woman. 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


THE   GIRL 
Mother — hear  them : — the  drums ! 

THE   MOTHER 
Hush!    O,  be  still— be  still. 

(Turning,  the  other  One — a  WOMAN,  young  but  austere- 
speaks  low.) 

THE   YOUNG   WOMAN 

Listen,  Mother:  it  comes 
Upward  from  valley  and  hill, 
Far-beating. — What  can  it  be  ? 

THE    MOTHER 

The  call  of  our  beating  hearts 

Echoing  back.     We  hear  it 

Die  where  our  hope  departs; 

But  time,  nor  eternity, 

Man,  nor  ministering  spirit — 

None  hears  it  but  us,  my  daughters. 

THE    GIRL 

Mother,  why  were  we  born 

Hallow'd  by  quiet  waters 

In  the  faith  of  a  beautiful,  glad  tomorrow, 

Only  now  to  be  torn 

By  a  tempest  of  shame  and  slaughters, 

Pent  in  a  house  of  poisoned  sorrow — 

Here — here — on  our  breasts  the  brand 

Of  him — the  Despoiler's  hand? 


PLATE  5 


THE   MOTHER 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


THE   YOUNG   WOMAN 

Mother,  where  is  he  gone — 

Our  father,  Peace,  who  was  with  us 

Yesterday?     Why  in  the  dawn 

Did  he  walk  in  sleep,  and  bequeathe  us 

Only  a  dream — his  dreaming 

Of  men  in  their  noble  seeming — 

To  heal  the  horrible  scar 

Of  men  as  they  really  are  ? 

For  now — now  the  Despoiler  is  come, 

And  this  is  our  home — our  home. 

THE    GIRL 
He  has  taken  the  one  I  was  to  wed. 

THE   YOUNG   WOMAN 
He  has  taken  my  wedded  one — he  is  dead. 

THE    GIRL 
Is  there  no  might  in  mercy — none  ? 

THE   YOUNG   WOMAN 

Is  there  no  champion  of  love — not  one 

Who  counts  his  own  pain  less  than  another's  ? 

THE    GIRL 

Where  are  your  sons — our  brothers? 

He  sent  them  forth — the  Despoiler  there — 

He  sent  them  through  ocean  and  earth  and  air 

To  spread  his  empire  more  and  more: 

Ah,  when  will  they  turn  to  our  father's  door 

To  avenge  him,  and  restore? 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


THE  MOTHER 

Brittle  as  the  broken  wings 

Of  birds  are  woman's  questionings. 

O  women, — daughters  of  mine! 

'Tis  ours  to  watch  for  a  sign 

That  never  comes — that  never  comes. 

THE    GIRL 
(Starts,  with  lifted  face) 

Mother,  once  more  I  hear  them — drums! 
Listen — their  rolling  call. 

(Faintly  the  murmurous  DRUM-BEATS  are  repeated,  and 
die  away.) 

THE    MOTHER 

The  call  of  our  hearts — 't  is  all 
And — nothing. 

THE   YOUNG   WOMAN 

Yet  if  we  knew, 
Mother,  it  might  be  true 
That  all  we  are  hoping  for — 

(Harsh,   from  within,   a  BRAZEN   GONG   resounds,   and  a 
hoarse  VOICE  crying  aloud.) 

THE    VOICE 

More  of  my  branding — more! 
Ho,  Rapine! — Ho,  Terror! 


SECOND  ACTION 
(Shadows  of  the  Despoiler) 

INSTANTLY  the  two  Gateways  flare  lurid  with 
red  and  orange  light,  through  which  appear  the 
sinister  forms  of  TERROR  and  RAPINE. 
Little  serpents  gleam  in  the  dark  headplumes  of 
TERROR,  and  the  gnarled  horns  of  RAPINE  twist 
downward  before  his  eyes. 

Entering,  they  come  toward  the  two  younger 
Women,  who  recoil  before  them. 

THE   MOTHER 
(Cries   faintly) 
No! 

No — not  to  these ! 

(Backing  against  the  Great  Door,  the  YOUNG  GIRL  swoons 
there.  Before  she  falls,  RAPINE  seizes  her.) 

THE   YOUNG  WOMAN 
(Trying    to    intervene) 

Let  go! 

(Herself,  at  the  touch  of  TERROR'S  hand,  starts  back,  es 
capes  through  the  door  ajar,  and  disappears,  followed 
by  the  form  of  TERROR  and  of  RAPINE  bearing  the  GIRL. 
Behind  them  the  door-slit  closes. 

Crouching  at  the  centre,  the  MOTHER  clutches  to  her 
more  tightly  the  two  CHILDREN. 

After  a  breathless  moment  of  silence,  she  speaks  to 
them  low.) 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


THE  MOTHER 

Little  ones,  now  there  is  only 

You — you,  for  his  orgy  to  squander. 

Here  we  have  nowhere  to  hide,  my  lonely: 

But  hush,  we  will  wander 

Far  from  this  old  gray  door ; 

And  Mother  will  find  you  some  younger 

Beautiful  home. 

(Rising,  she  moves  stealthily  with  the  Children  toward  the 
right  Gateway,  the  LITTLE  BOY  preceding  her.  There, 
in  wan,  grayish  light,  appears  a  GAUNT  FORM,  who 
reaches  toward  them  long,  shrunken  arms.  Seeing  it, 
the  Child  starts  back  to  the  Mother,  who  utters  a 
sharp  moan.) 

— Ah,  Hunger ! 

(Turning,  she  starts  with  the  Children  toward  the  other 
Gate,  where  in  greenish  glow  a  DWARF-LIKE  FIGURE 
glares  at  them  slyly.  Seeing  it  first,  the  GIRL  CHILD 
points,  and  clings  to  the  Mother,  who  murmurs — 
staring. ) 

Hate ! — He  has  sent  them. 

(Again  the  dull  brazen  clang  sounds  from  within,  and 
through  it  the  hoarse  VOICE,  calling.) 

THE    VOICE 
More! 

(Drawing  back  to  the  centre,  the  MOTHER  watches,  tense 
and  spellbound,  while  the  two  Figures  move  slowly 
nearer  and  more  near — HUNGER,  blindfolded,  out- 
reaching  for  the  BOY,  HATE  with  eyes  fixed  on  the 
GIRL  CHILD. 

As  in  trance,  she  speaks — gazing  from  one  to  the 
other.) 

8 


THE    ROLL   CALL 


THE   MOTHER 

(To  Hunger) 
A  child— 

Who  hath  not  eyes  to  love  it? 
What  hath  a  little  child 
For  you,  in  your  horrible  craving, 
Blind  one,  blindly  to  covet?  ;> 

(To  Hate) 

How  shall  the  undented 
Serve  your  enslaving? — 
Ah  me! 
God  leaves  us  utterly. 

(From  her  side,  HUNGER  and  HATE  grasp  the  CHILDREN 
and — stifling  their  half-uttered  cries — bear  them  off 
through  the  Door,  disappearing. 

For  an  instaant,  the  MOTHER  stands  motionless ;  then, 
with  a  shrill  cry,  she  rushes  toward  the  Doors.) 

Ha !    Give  them  back !    Set  them  free — 
Despoiler !     Despoiler ! 

(Through  the  Great  Doors,  ajar,  glows  a  red-orange  glare, 
casting  a  huge  SHADOW  OF  BLACK,  behind  which  the 
VOICE  speaks  again.) 

THE   VOICE 

Woman, 
What  is  your  will? 


THIRD  ACTION 

(The  Despoiler) 

THE  glare  widens,  and  in  the  Doorway  appears 
the  DESPOILER — an  immense  Figure,  clad 
in  coppery  brass  and  black.     On  his  head 
towers   a  brazen  many-spiked  helmet;   from   his 
shoulders   fall   the   rusty-red   folds   of   his   cloak, 
through  which  his  right  arm  holds  the  staff  of  his 
Standard — the  Mark  of  a  Hand  in  Rust-Hued  Red 
on  Cloth  of  Black. 

To  him  the  MOTHER  lifts  her  face,  entreating. 

THE    MOTHER 

0,  release  them !    Let  me  fulfil 
The  bond  of  their  fate! 

1,  who  brought  them  human 
Forth  unto  earth, 

I,  who  conceived  them — let  me  expiate 
The  deed  of  their  birth ! 

THE   DESPOILER 

Woman,  what  is  your  will? — 

A  little  flame,  in  the  wind : 

A  candle  flame  in  the  night 

Held  by  a  hand  on  a  lone  doorsill, 

To  sputter  and  be  spinned 

By  the  storm  of  the  Infinite. 

10 


PLATE  6 


THE  DESPOILER 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


THE    MOTHER 

Yet  me — through  me  they  have  lived, 
And  all  that  my  will  has  conceived — 

THE   DESPOILER 

All  that  your  will  has  conceived — mine,  mine  shall 
wrccreate ! 

THE     MOTHER 
(Sinking  down  on  the  seat) 

Yet — yet — not  only  me  their  mother: 

There  was  another 

By  whom  they  were  begotten 

In  beauty — 

THE   DESPOILER 
Aye, — your  mate, 

Their  father,  Peace!     Where  now  is  he 
To  staunch  your  agony? 

THE    MOTHER 
Ah! 

THE   DESPOILER 

Here  he  made  his  home. 
Muddled  and  glad  and  besotten, 
He  laid  him  down  to  dream. 
With  your  sputtering  candle-beam 
He  built  him  a  shining  dome 
To  shelter  his  house  from  the  thunder-stroke, 
And  the  world — his  golden  park! 
But  I — I  burst  the  dome,  and  he  woke — 
Blinded  and  mad — in  the  dark. 

ii 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


THE     MOTHER 
(With  strange  quiet) 

And  he  is  gone  from  us.     Far 

From  home  and  the  warm  heart-beat 

Of  women,  under  some  unknown  star 

He  stays  his  bleeding  feet, 

And  gropes  for  a  vanished  grace, 

And  stares  on  the  dead  face 

Of  God. 

THE   DESPOILER 
Aye,  he  is  gone — 
With  all  he  dreamed  upon ! 
And  his  daughters  do  my  hest, 
And  his  sons  perform  my  quest, 
And  you — a  slave  at  my  door — 
Shall  wait,  but  see  his  sign  in  the  dawn 
No  more. 

(Turning  scornfully,  he  goes  to  the  Great  Doors. 

As  he  does  so — circling  upward  once  more — the 
low,  rhythmic  THUNDER  rolls  and  rises  and  wanes  to 
stillness.) 

THE     MOTHER 
(Listening) 

It  comes !    Still — still  it  comes : 
The  dream-beat  of  the  drums ! 

(The  DESPOILER  goes  within. 
The  Doors  are  closed.) 


12 


FOURTH  ACTION 

("  Lonely  and  Starless  ") 

LEFT     alone     now  —  to     low     strains     of 
music* — with   face  upraised,   the   MOTHER 
speaks. 

THE    MOTHER 

O  hearts  of  our  earth's  sorrow, 

Hearts  of  her  singing! 

Hearts  of  the  dumb  breasts  of  broken  peoples! 

Hearts  of  the  live  upspringing 

Children,  which  are  the  chimes  of  their  ruined 
steeples ! 

Hearts  of  a  strange  Tomorrow 

Struggling  for  birth  in  the  labor  of  old  bowed 
women, 

Begotten  of  strong  men's  pain  mid  the  fiery  sling 
ing 

Of  bombs !     Hearts — hearts  of  rebellion,  born 

Of  weakness  and  bondage  and  scorn! 

O  hearts  of  the  swimming 

Athletes  of  surging  air — 

Hearts  of  dreamer  and  toiler, 

Of  joy — of  despair ! 

Hear  me,  all  hearts!  and  with  mine, 

The  heart  of  a  mother — conspire! 

Come,  with  a  hallowed  sign, 

Come,  with  a  sign  of  fire, 

And  purge  this  house  of  our  dreams  from  him — 
from  him,  the  Despoiler ! 

O  hearts,  I  bow ;  I  wait ;  I  wait  for  your  fiery  sign. 

*  Music  of  organ  or  violin,  playing  faintly  Chopin's  NOCTURNE., 
Opus  37,  Number  1,  Second  Part,  religiosamente. 

13 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


(Dully  the  brazen  gong  reverberates  again,  and  the  VOICE 
OF  THE  DESPOILER  cries  from  within.) 

THE,  VOICE    OF   THE    DESPOILER 
Again 

Now  let  my  rituals  commence: 
Ho,  Pestilence! 
Ho,  Poverty — and  Pain ! 

(Now,  rising  from  the  place  of  the  Chorus,  three  FEMALE 
FORMS  begin  slowly  to  move  toward  the  steps;  at  the 
centre,  PESTILENCE — vivid  in  scarlet  robe  and  veil 
of  splotched  piedness — carries  a  lurid  taper,  which 
throws  its  flickering  gleam  on  the  other  two;  on  the 
right,  PAIN,  in  dim  purple,  with  head  bent  backward 
in  one  bended  arm;  on  the  left,  POVERTY,  half  nude 
in  drab,  with  face  bowed  and  gray-black  hair  unbound. 
Following  these  from  behind,  a  Fourth  FIGURE — 
shrouded  wholly  in  gray — lingers  apart  and — later — 
mounts  the  stairway  alone. 

As  the  Three  Figures  move  forward,  the  CHORUS 
begins  to  sing.  As  they  reach  the  broad  steps  and 
mount  them  toward  the  black  Form  of  the  MOTHER, 
bowed  on  her  seat  at  the  centre,  simultaneously  the 
Great  Doors  in  the  background  swing  open,  revealing 
behind,  in  feverish  lights,  a  dumb  TABLEAU  OF 
THE  DESPOILER,  dominant  among  the  grouped 
forms  of  the  DAUGHTERS  and  CHILDREN,  in  the  thrall 
of  TERROR  and  RAPINE,  HUNGER  and  HATE,  surrounded 
by  other  Shadowy  Forms  in  bondage. 

Very  faintly  at  first,  but  swelling  slowly  more  loud, 
the  CHORUS  sings  to  the  throbbing  melody  of  Chopin's 
Marc  he  Funebre*) 


*  The  Chorus  is  sung  to  the  first  fourteen  bars  only ;  sixteen  bars 
are  then  skipped,  and  the  next  eight  bars  constitute  the  accompani 
ment  to  the  soprano  solo.  The  eighth  line  of  the  Chorus  words  may 
be  omitted  in  singing,  or  be  sung  to  the  music  of  the  seventh  line, 
repeated. 

14 


THE  CHORUS 

Lonely  and  starless, 

After  the  battle, — 

Moon    dark,    and   sun    dead  —  the   moaning 

watchers  lie, 
Blood-dim  and  blind,  stare  the  lidless  eyes  of 

Pain. 

Starless  and  lonely, 

Stark  in  the  wan  night, 

Haunted   with    dreams,    rise    the    homes    of 

Poverty, — 
Pale,  through  the  gloom,  glide  the  ghosts  of 

Pestilence. 

Lonely  and  starless — 

Lord  of  the  outcast! — 

Where  shall  the  all-forsaken  hail  Thy  sign? 

(Now,  as  the  FIGURES  pause,  and  the  Music  changes  to  a 
strain  celestial  in  its  comforting  (sung  by  a  single 
SOPRANO  VOICE),  darkness  blots  out  the  TABLEAU  OF 
THE  DESPOILER  —  darkness  through  which  a  single 
beam  of  white  light,  falling  at  the  centre,  illumines  the 
MOTHER,  and  beside  her,  the  FIGURE  SHROUDED  IN 
GRAY. 

There,  dropping  off  the  shroud,  the  FIGURE  emerges 
— a  Form  youthful  and  gracious,  clad  in  clinging  white. 
Glancing  at  the  slowly  lifted  face  of  the  Mother,  she 
points  upward  where,  above  them,  gleaming  dream 
like  from  the  dark,  the  Sign  of  a  RED  CROSS  glows, 
softly  luminous.  At  that  moment,  to  the  tender 
cadence  of  the  Soprano  Voice  as  it  ceases,  touched  by 
the  white  beam,  she  reveals  the  sign  to  the  Mother.) 

15 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


THE  SOPRANO  VOICE 
(Solo) 

Lo,  glimmering  upon  Thy  breast, 
Love — illumined  with  Thy  hallow 'd  light — 
Love  revealeth  there  Thy  heart-red  cross 
To  heal  the  all-forsaken  of  their  sorrow. 

(Reaching  uplifted  arms,  the  MOTHER  rises  in  the  light — 
her  lips  parted  to  cry  out — when  instantly  in  darkness 
the  CROSS  and  FIGURE  disappear;  and  again  the  dim 
Forms  of  PESTILENCE,  POVERTY  and  PAIN  begin  to 
move,  passing  off  inward  behind  the  closing  Doors, 
while  the  CHORUS  deepens  to  the  throbbing  strains  of 
their  dumb  march.) 

THE  CHORUS 

Lonely  and  starless, 

Lord  of  the  outcast! — 

There  shall  the  all-forsaken  hail  Thy  sign! 


16 


FIFTH  ACTION 
(All  Hearts) 

NOW,  as  the  Chorus  ceases,  a  light  as  of  dawn 
begins  to  fill  the  space  before  the  Great 
Doors,  where  the  GRAY-SHROUDED  FIGURE 
is  seen  standing  beside  the  MOTHER,  who  speaks 
aloud  in  wonder,  while  still  the  dark  is  thinning. 

THE    MOTHER 

Where? — Where? — O  healing  Sign, that  disappears 

Yet  still  abides  in  faith! 

Hath  now  no  music  throbbed  within  my  ears, 

Nor  moaning  breath 

Of  choirs  ?    Hath  here  no  heart-red  Cross — 

No  star-bright  Shape — burned  through  my  dross 

Of  shadow?    Or  hath  a  dream — 

A  dream  once  more! — 

Made  visitation  at  this  door 

Of  dreamers  dead? 

(Seeing  suddenly  the  SHROUDED  FIGURE  before  her) 
What  are  you? 

THE   FIGURE 
You  have  said. 

(For  an  instant,  as  the  MOTHER  peers  forward,  the  FIGURE 
parts  her  shroud,  revealing  on  her  breast  a  red  cross, 
which  hangs  there  like  an  amulet;  then  she  wraps  it 
close  again.) 

THE  MOTHER 

O  dream ! — And  was  it  you  who  came  ? 

17 


THE    ROLL   CALL 


THE   FIGURE 

I  heard  you  call; 

Yet  ere  you  spoke,  as  deep  as  spirit  plumbs, 

I  answered  with  my  drums. 

THE  MOTHER 

But  I — I  prayed  to  all 
Hearts  of  all  peoples ! 

THE   FIGURE 

So  you  called  my  name, 

For  /  am  All  Hearts,  and  all  peoples  are  mine ! 
I  bring  their  life-blood  in  this  hallow'd  sign — 
The  Red  Cross,  and  within  that  fire — 
With  you,  with  me — their  wills  conspire. 

THE  MOTHER 
But  this  dim  shroud ! — Why  are  you  so  concealed  ? 

ALL  HEARTS 

Within  the  house  of  death,  life  must  be  healed 

In  hidden  ways  to  meet  the  world  again: 

And  we,  who  match  our  wills  with  pain 

To  outwit  the  great  Despoiler, — we 

Must  make  our  deep  conspiracy 

Work  from  within,  disguised  in  death's  own  garb, 

Till  we  shall  turn  his  poisoned  barb 

Against  himself — and  set  our  wounded  free. 

THE  MOTHER 

Ah,  you  will  free  them  ? — How  ? 

18 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


ALL  HEARTS 

By  my  earth-wide  Alliance,  sprung 

From  many  lands.     Too  long 

Love  lived  a  hermit,  and  his  labors,  done 

Alone,  were  crushed :  but  now — 

All  mercies  now  shall  work  as  one ; 

For  Pity  Organized  hath  power  more  great 

Than  all  the  Hosts  of  Hate. 

THE   MOTHER 

And  who  are  those,  allied 
To  free  the  world? 

ALL  HEARTS 

You  bore  them  from  your  side. 

THE   MOTHER 

My  children ! — But  my  babes  and  daughters  lie 
In  bondage  yonder,  and  my  strong  sons  die 
Fighting  to  serve  him — the  Despoiler! 

ALL  HEARTS 

Nay, 

They  faint  no  more — nor  fight — to  serve  his  will, 
But  mine :  our  will,  that  shall  waylay 
And  trap  him  in  his  lair. 

THE  MOTHER 
Yet  how? 

19 


THE   ROLL    CALL 


ALL  HEARTS 
To  snare 

The  soul-snake  and  the  cuttle- 
Man-beast,  the  brain  of  Mercy  must  be  subtle 
Even  as  he, 

And  foil  the  camouflage  of  Cruelty 
By  craft  of  love  more  keen. — 
So  /  have  been, 

For  now  behold — even  at  the  tyrant's  doors — 
These  new  conspirators! 

(Amid  another  murmur  of  DRUMS,  in  both  of  the  Gates 
at  once  appear  FOUR  TALL  FORMS,  also  Shrouded  in 
Gray. 

Coming  forward,  the  Four  join   one  another,  and 
pause  near  the  Mother.) 

THE  MOTHER 

(In  wonder) 
But  who  are  these? 

ALL  HEARTS 

Ah,  they  themselves  shall  tell ! 
For  now  I  go 

To  meet  our  common  enemy,  and  dwell 
Here  in  his  house,  to  work  his  overthrow. 

(She  moves  to  go. 
The  Mother  starts  to  prevent  her.) 

THE  MOTHER 
No!     There  is  ruin! 

20 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


ALL  HEARTS 

Have  no  fear : 

(Showing  again  her  small  red  cross) 
This  cross  shall  be  my  talisman 
Against  all  harm. 

(See  moves  on,  close  to  the  Great  Doors) 

THE  MOTHER 
He  will  revere 
No  sign  or  sacred  charm. 

ALL-HEARTS 

Yet  he  will  fear  the  power,  which  soon  shall  ban 
His  empire  from  the  earth:  the  secret  power 
Of  All  Hearts — mine, 
Assembled  from  all  peoples,  in  this  sign. 

(With  a  gesture  to  the  Four  Shrouded  Forms) 
For  you,  dear  fellow  workers,  you  know  best 
The  magic  of  its  might.    The  longed-for  hour 
Is  almost  struck.    Remember,  then  the  test: — 
When,  from  within  this  house  of  plague,  you  see 
My  heart-red  Sign  burn  forth,  then  set  unfurled 
The  banners  of  our  purpose,  let  the  air 
With  all  our  bugles  blare, 
And  rouse  with  drums  of  our  conspiracy 
To  our  Red  Cross — the  roll  call  of  the  world! 

(The  FOUR  SHROUDED  FIGURES  raise  their  right  arms  as  in 
oath. 

Turning  to  the  Great  Doors,  ALL  HEARTS  pauses 
in  a  moment  of  silence,  and  then — knocks. 

From  within,  the  brazen  clang  answers,  and  the 
doors  partly  open,  half  revealing  the  DESPOILER  behind.) 

21 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


THE   DESPOILER 
Who  knocks  there? 

ALL  HEARTS 
(In  low  voice) 

One  who  wearieth 
To  wear  a  shroud. 

THE   DESPOILER 

Ah!— Welcome,  Death! 

(ALL  HEARTS  passes  within. 
The  Great  Doors  close.) 


S 


SIXTH  ACTION 
(The  Sons) 

TANDING  by  her  seat,  the  MOTHER  speaks 
wistfully  to  the  SHROUDED  FIGURES,  who 
draw  near  and  crouch  down  before  her. 

THE   MOTHER 


Shapes  of  my  clouded  mind! 
Smouldering  dreams,  that  the  blind 
Dumbness  of  woe  cannot  smother 
With  ashes!    Oh,  my  breast 
Pains  with  a  hope  supprest. — 
What  are  you,  shrouded  ones, 
So  mute  before  me? 


THE    NEAREST   ONE 

(Springing  up  in  light  from  his  fallen  shroud — A  YOUNG 
SOLDIER— cries  to  her) 

Mother ! 

THE   THREE   OTHERS 

(Starting  up  likewise,  in  a  flame-like  glow — YOUNG 
ATHLETE  FORMS,  SAILOR,  LABORER  AND 
AVIATOR— cry  aloud) 

Mother ! 

23 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


THE  MOTHER 

(Reaching  to  their  outreached  arms) 
Sons !    O  my  sons ! 

(They  kneel  close  about  her. 

She  gazes  ardently  from  one  to  the  other,  caressin; 
their  hands.) 

You — my  own  ones,  returned 
Out  of  the  deeps! — Is  it  true? 

THE    SAILOR 

We — and  you,  Mother,  you — 
Together ! 

THE    SOLDIER 

How  we  have  yearned 
Homeward — homeward  for  this! 

THE   AVIATOR 
Out  of  the  whirlwind! 

THE    LABORER 

Up  from  the  abyss ! 

THE   MOTHER 
(Lifts  her  face) 
Waters  of  life,  and  shores 
Of  death !    O,  deep  of  the  skies, 
Dark — dark  of  the  earth ! 
Twice  you  have  given  them  birth : 
Once  from  my  agonies, 
And  now  from  my  joy,  that  restores 
Light  of  them  back  to  my  eyes ! 
(Sitting,  she  turns  more  close  to  them: 

Suddenly,  to  the  Aviator,  she  makes  a  low  cry.) 
Ha !    Your  brow — that  red ! 

24 


THE   ROLL    CALL 


THE   AVIATOR 

(Smiles,  adjusting  a  blood-red  bandage  and  points  upward) 
A  scratch  in  the  sunrise — yonder! 

(Looking  swiftly  at  the  Others,  she  sees  the  splices  on  the 
SOLDIER'S  arm,  the  swathings  on  the  SAILOR'S  breast, 
and  the  scarred  face  of  the  LABORER.) 

THE    MOTHER 
You — both ! — And  you  ? 

THE    LABORER 
(Quietly) 

Some  bread 
Comes  charred  from  the  oven. 

THE    SOLDIER 

Guns 
Leave  shells. 

THE    SAILOR 

When  ships  go  under, 
Strange  sharks  lay  by. 

THE   MOTHER 

O  my  wounded  ones ! 
And  I,  who  should  have  nurst 
And  healed  and  comforted, 
I  have  only  these  empty  arms 
To  welcome  you — homeless — instead! 

25 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


THE   SOLDIER 

Nay,  Mother,  home — home  is  thirst 
Made  cool,  and  loud  alarms 
Made  quiet,  and  festering  wrong 
Lanced,  and  faint  wjll  made  strong 
By  faith  revived.    So,  Mother, 
Here — here  is  home, 
With  you  and  All  Hearts.     Come ! 
Let  us  go  in. 

(He  starts  to  lead  her  toward  the  Doors.) 

THE   MOTHER 
(Sadly — staying  his  gesture) 

Another 
Dwells  in  your  father's  place. 

THE    LABORER 
(With  strong  quiet) 
Whom  we  have  come  to  efface. 

THE   MOTHER 

But  you  labor  and  fight  for  him — 
His  bondmen! 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


THE   AVIATOR 

His  no  more! 

He  willed  a  thing  called  War. 
He  planned  to  make  it — iron  beam 
And  arch — his  own,  and  us  to  contrive 
And  toil — slave  bees,  with  blood  for  honey, 
And  mud  for  wax,  and  golden  money 
For  mortar — to  build  its  roaring  hive 
— His  temple!     Ha!  but  he  shall  not  win: 
For  we,  his  bees,  have  hidden,  within, 
A  Queen  of  our  own,  and  her  secret  leaven 
Works  to  weld  us,  mind  and  spirit, 
One  soul — the  army  of  All  Hearts !    Now, 
Now  our  wills  combine : 
Here  we  await  her  sign — 
Her  call  to  swarm  to  a  new-world  bough, 
And  leave  his  war-hive  empty  and  riven, — 
And  none  again  to  rear  it! 

(After  a  momentary  pause,  the  Other  SONS  speak  with  a 
strange  dreaminess.) 

THE   SAILOR 

(Slowly) 

I  saw  in  crimson  waters 

The  last  of  his  monsters  gasp  and  gape. 

THE    SOLDIER 

I  saw  a  heart-red  shape 

Shine  in  the  sundown  of  slaughters. 

27 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


THE   LABORER 

I  saw  a  red-and-white  bird  escape 
From  the  crush  of  his  purple  mortars. 

THE   AVIATOR 

I  saw  the  red  cross  on  its  white  wing: 
High  over  the  storms — I  heard  it  sing! 

THE    SOLDIER 
(Turning,  with  decision) 
So,  Mother,  we  will  go  in 
There,  where  our  sisters  lie; 
For  the  sign  we  all  have  seen 
Quickens  our  blood  to  vie 
With  him,  who  lords  it  obscene 
In  our  father's  house. 

THE    MOTHER 

Where  you, 
My  sons,  go — I  will  go,  too. 

(She  moves   from  her  seat  toward  them. 
Together,  they  join  and  greet  her.) 

THE    SAILOR 
Ha,  Mother,  our  arms  about  you! 

THE   AVIATOR 
What  were  your  sons  without  you ! 

THE    LABORER 

You  of  your  courage  who  bore  us, 
Brave  for  our  need — 
You,  Mother,  walk  now  before  us, 
Brave  for  our  counsel,  and  lead! 

28 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


THE   MOTHER 
(Smiling  on  them) 
We  will  go — together. 

(As  they  start  toward  the  Great  Doors,  from  within  the 
VOICE  OF  THE  DESPOILER  is  heard  crying  aloud.) 

THE   VOICE   OF   THE   DESPOILER 

Guile! 
Guile  and  snare! 

THE   MOTHER 

(As  the   SONS   start  forward,   makes   them  a   gesture  of 
quiet.) 

Stand  by. 

THE   VOICE    OF   THE   DESPOILER 

Spies!     Ho,  Treachery! 
I — to  be  gulled ! 

THE    MOTHER 
(To  her  Sons) 

Awhile 
Wait  in  the  shadow  there. 

THE    SOLDIER 

(Tensely,  as  the  Four  move  aside  in  shadow) 
Our  swords  are  waiting. 


29 


T 


SEVENTH  ACTION 

("Magic  of  Mercy") 

HE  Great  Doors  open  suddenly,  and  the  DE- 
SPOILER  comes  out  in  angered  amazement. 
They  close  behind  him. 


THE   DESPOILER 
(Muttering  aloud) 

A  snare! 

Duping  of  spies !     Still — still — 
None  entered  over  this  sill 
But  Death  in  his  shroud,  and  I  scanned 
Well,  where  he  bowed  beside 
The  bed  of  Pain,  and  I  half  descried 
The  blood-red  cross  in  his  hand. — 
Only  Death,  and  a  cross 
Blood-hued :  nothing  human 
Else  has  entered. 

(Seeing  the  Mother) 

Ha, — Woman ! 
Only  the  woman's  heart 
Can  have  conceived  this. — You! 
Where  have  you  waited? 

30 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


THE   MOTHER 

Here  —  apart  — 
I  have  waited. 

THE   DESPOILER 
What  did  you  do? 

THE    MOTHER 
I  have  prayed. 

THE   DESPOILER 
You  prayed  —  whom  to? 

THE   MOTHER 
To  all  hearts. 

THE   DESPOILER 
What  was  your  prayer? 

THE    MOTHER 

I  prayed  that  one  might  enter  there 
With  magic  of  mercy. 

THE   DESPOILER 

You! 

You,  then,  it  was.     And  are  you  ware 
How  your  magic  is  speeding? 


Well? 


THE   MOTHER 

Hath  it  sped 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


THE   DESPOILER 
(Half  to  himself) 

Pain,  my  bondslave,  lay  on  her  bed. 
One  sat  close  by  in  a  shroud. — The  pulse 
Of  Pain  throbs  ever  in  fire;  her  head 
Cranes,  and  her  cramping  limbs  convulse 
In  vices  of  ague:     So 
I  have  watched  her,  since  long  ago 
I  thralled  her.     But  now 
When  I  looked,  instead — 
Now  on  her  pillow  she  lies 
With  a  smile  half  dream,  and  brow 
Blanch'd  in  sleep,  and  breasts  that  rise 
And  fall,  as  light  as  a  June  breeze  passes, 
And  limbs,  like  morning  flowers  laid 
Cool  in  meadow  grasses. 

THE    MOTHER 
Ah,  not  all  in  vain  I  prayed ! 

THE   DESPOILER 
But  not  only 

Pain  hath  your  witchery 
Warped  to  you:     Poverty — 
Aye,  she  who,  trembling  and  lonely, 
Ever  hath  shrunk  her  eyes  from  mine 
Deep  in  her  raggled  locks, — 
Now,  on  bold,  buxom  knee, 
Mincing  her  gesture,  neat  and  fine, 
Now  in  golden  laughter  she  mocks — 
She  mocks — at — me ! 

32 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


THE  MOTHER 

(Exulting,  low) 
O  golden  effluence 
Of  All  Hearts! 

THE   DESPOILER 

How !     Beware 

What  you  hide  in  your  murmurs  there ! — 
Where  is  she — Pestilence? 
None  within  could  hatch  her  loss, 
And  none  but  Death,  with  his  dangling  cross, 
Hath  entered  from  without. 
Yet  now,  when  my  yearning 
Eyes  were  about 

To  draw  to  my  lips  her  scarlet  kiss — 
She  was  vanished;  and  only  her  blood-dim  veil 
Distilled  like  cloud  through  a  dark  abyss — 
All  white  and  lily-pale! 

THE    MOTHER 

Vanished!     Transformed — all  three! 
Ah,  she ! — it  was  she ! 

THE   DESPOILER 

So — an  accomplice!     You  shall  name 
Her  name. 

THE    MOTHER 
I  have  told. 

THE   DESPOILER 
The  same 

You  shall  make  bold 
Once  more. 

33 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


THE   MOTHER 
'T  is  All  Hearts. 

THE   DESPOILER 

Weak !     Too  weak — 
The  will  of  all  human  hearts,  to  undo 
My  will! 

(With  threatening  gesture,  he   reaches  toward  her) 

So  speak, 

Mother  of  weaklings!     Tell  me  who 
Hath  wrought  now  this  insolence. — 

(With  a  cry  from  their  shadowy  hiding,  the  FOUR  SONS 
rush  forward,  with  long  swords  drawn,  encircling  the 
MOTHER,  protectingly.) 

THE    SOLDIER 
(Fiercely) 

You! 

THE    LABORER 
Your  insolence  hath  spoke  in  error. 

THE    DESPOILER 
(Turning,  at  their  cry) 
Conspirators ! 
Your  sons! — rebels! 

(Calling  aloud) 

Ho,  Rapine,  here !    Ho,  Terror ! 
Hunger  and  Hate,  here — ho!     Defend  my  doors! 


34 


EIGHTH  ACTION 
("  Light  of  New  Worlds  ") 

FROM  within,  the  grim  forms  of  his  FOUR 
BODYGUARDS  rush  forth  to  the  DESPOILER'S 
call,  and  confront  the  FOUR  SONS. 

These,  reversing  their  swords,  hold  upward  the 
red  crosses  of  the  handles,  which  blaze  upon  their 
opponents  in  crimson  light,  appalling  them. 

Dividing  in  double  groups,  and  backing  fearfully 
before  the  on-moving  crosses  to  the  gates,  they  turn 
there  and  flee  out — TERROR  and  RAPINE  fleeing 
from  the  SOLDIER  and  AVIATOR,  HUNGER  and  HATE 
from  the  SAILOR  and  LABORER. 

At  the  gates  the  FOUR  SONS  pause,  and  turn  back 
toward  the  MOTHER  awaiting  them  at  the  centre, 
where  they  reach  aloft  their  burning  crosses  to 
ward  the  amazed  DESPOILER. 

He,  recoiling,  makes  a  gesture  of  rage  toward 
them  and  the  MOTHER,  crying  terribly  aloud: 

THE  DESPOILER 

Blazing  of  Woman's  heart !    Ha,  scorches 
Of  rebel  lightning!     Put  out — put  them  out,  your 
torches ! 

(Turning,  he  starts  toward  the  Great  Doors,  when  suddenly 
these  swing  open,  revealing  within  a  glowing 
TABLEAU  OF  ALL  HEARTS,  rising  in  beauty  from 
her  sloughed-off  shroud,  and  bending  in  tender  minis 
tration  above  the  DAUGHERS  AND  CHILDREN.  About 
them,  in  visionary  light,  are  grouped  the  Child-like 
Forms  of  ministering  PITIES. 

35 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


(With  the  outswinging  of  the  Doors,  and  the  Vision, 
sounds  a  MUFFLED  PEALING  OF  TRUMPETS. 

Spellbound,  the  DESPOILER  stares,  and  speaks  with 
hoarse  murmur.) 

O  light  of  new  worlds !    My  roof  falls, — yea,  and 
my  crumbling  porches! 

(Falling  prostrate,  he  lies  prone,  as  the  CHORUS  burst  into 
singing,  and  the  VISION  brightens  in  splendor.) 

THE   CHORUS* 

All  hail  the  power  of  Gentleness 

Whose  love  all  fear  defies 
To  purge  the  dark  Despoiler's  halls 

With  joys  of  sacrifice! 

Where  Hatred  glowered  and  Hunger  thralled 

And  Terror  dwelled  ^vith  Pain, 
There  Mercy  brings  her  ministering  dreams 

To  drive  them  forth  again. 

Now  through  the  Tyrant's  crumbling  walls 

New  worlds  their  hosts  convoy 
To  hail  the  power  of  Gentleness 

And  crown  that  power  with  joy! 


*  To  the  music  by  Oliver  Holden  for  "  Coronation." 

36 


NINTH   ACTION 

(The  Red  Cross) 

DURING  the  final  strains  of  the  Chorus,  the 
DESPOILER  rises.    As  the  music  ceases,  he 
shakes  his  clenched  hands  above  him,  and 
calls  in  rage. 

THE   DESPOILER 

All  Hearts! — All  Hearts!    You,  in  your  vision  of 

Pities, 
Not  you  shall  confound  my  dreams!    The  will  of 

my  dreaming 
Builds   in   eternal   Hate — builds   on   your    flame- 

charneled  cities 
And  the  blood  of  their  corpses,  upsteaming! 

(Starting  forward  again  toward  the  centre  of  the  Vision, 
abruptly  he  is  confronted  by  Darkness,  save  that  high 
above  the  Great  Doors,  in  sudden  splendor — enormous 
— a  RED  CROSS  rises,  burning. 

Reeling  back,  he  strikes  both  hands  over  his  eyes 
and  bows  over,  with  moaning  scream. 

With  the  blazing  cross  of  light  a  blaze  of  sound 
rises  in  loud  SHRILLING  OF  TRUMPETS. 

Standing  with  their  faces  turned  toward  the  four 
Aisles,  the  FOUR  SONS  lift  their  sword-hafts. 

At  their  signal,  down  the  Aisles  four  athlete 
RUNNERS  rush  toward  them  and,  mounting  the  stair 
way,  reach  the  top  as  the  Trumpets  cease,  and — 
appearing  high  in  the  background,  standing  as  upon 
air — ALL  HEARTS  calls  with  clear-ringing  voice.) 

37 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


ALL   HEARTS 

Ho,  Heralds  of  my  Red  Cross !  Hail  ye !  Hail,  above 
His  fall!     Ho,  Courage — Mercy — Reason — Love! 

(The  FOUR  HERALDS — the  sign  of  the  Red  Cross  on  their 
breasts,  their  several  symbols  streaming  from  their 
Standards — salute  the  MOTHER  at  the  centre,  then  stand 
beside  the  FOUR  SONS,  as,  adjutants. 

Meantime,  the  DESPOILER — half  bowed,  and  grop 
ing — strikes  at  his  eyes,  and  groans  loud  with  horrible 
gesture. 

So,  while  he  speaks,  silently,  from  the  shadowed 
space  around  and  beneath  ALL  HEARTS,  her  GROUPS  OF 
LIGHT  reappear,  about  to  emerge.) 

THE    DESPOILER 

Light!     Light  of  new  worlds!     Blinder  of  me,  in 

my  yearning 
Power !    O  light  of  old  dreams,  awakened  to  watch 

now  the  spurning 
Of  me — me,  in  my  dawn  of  darkness!    Ha,  duper 

and  f  oiler! 
Striker  down  of  the  strong  in  hate — despoiling  the 

Despoiler ! 
Light  of  All  Hearts !    Yea,  stricken  am  I ;  but  not 

broken 
Yet. — I  am  ware;  I  am  wise;  I  am  will — the  will 

which  has  lasted 
Ages  outworn ;  and  I  will  that  your  women  yet  shall 

be  yoken 
Under  my  lash;  and  your  men  made — blood,  and 

your  children — be  blasted ! 

38 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


(Groping    with    outstretched    arms,    he    strikes    stumbling 
against  the  left  Gate,  and  staggers  out. 

As  he  does  so,  ALL  HEARTS — with  her  following 
GROUPS — comes  forward,  leading  to  the  MOTHER  the 
little  BOY  and  GIRL.*) 

ALL   HEARTS 

Out   of   that  blasphemy,   these   shall   redeem   our 

vow. — 
(Showing  the  MOTHER  to  the  two  CHILDREN,  she  speaks 

for  them.) 

Mother ! 

(The  CHILDREN  both  rush  forward. 

With  a  sharp  cry  of  gladness,  the  MOTHER  nestles 
them  close.) 

THE    MOTHER 

Children!     My  little  ones! — Now 
The  spring  of  God's  waters 
Wells  again  back  to  us — up  from  the  slough 
And     ashes     of     Death.     Babes — sons — ah,     my 

daughters ! 
(Beside  her,  the  two  Daughters  go  to  her  eager  caress) 


*  On  the  garb  of  the  Children  and  the  two  Daughters,  the  branding 
Mark  of  the  Despoiler  is  no  longer  visible. 


39 


TENTH    ACTION 

(The  Drums) 

NOW,  from  the  circumference  of  the  audience, 
and  circling  the  place  of  action,  low  and 
muffled,  the  MURMUROUS  DRUMMING  be 
gins  again. 
Through  it,  ALL  HEARTS  speaks  to  the  HERALDS. 

ALL   HEARTS 

Runners  of  Joy — Runners  of  the  Four  Winds! — 

Hark! 
Do  you  not  hear — do  you  not  hear  them — my 

drums  ? 

Rolling,  they  call — rolling  out  of  the  dark, 
Throbbing  the  heart-beat  of  life,  as  the  daybreak 

comes 
Throbbing  heart-red  with  the  young  Tomorrow — 

the  dawn 
That  wakens  all  sleepers,  all  toilers,  all  peoples  as 

one. 
Hark!     Harken!     They  wake  them — my  peoples. 

O  Runners,  begone, 

And  bring  them — my  workers — before  us, 
Their  groups  and  their  leaders:  bring  them,  with 

chorus 

And  banners  and  bugles  and  roll-beat — my  heart 
beat — of  drums ! 

40 


THE   ROLL   CALL 


(As  she  ceases,  the  rumbling  DRUM-CALL  rolls  louder  and 
louder,  rising  to  a  rhythmic  din  of  encircling  thunder, 
from  which  the  CHORUS  breaks  suddenly  into  song. 

During  this,  with  glad  salutes,  the  RUNNERS  have 
dashed  down  the  steps  and  up  the  four  Aisles,  meeting 
the  BANNER  LEADERS  of  the  RED  CROSS  WORKERS  and 
PARTICIPANTS  now  visible,  as  they  enter  in  Color  and 
Pageantry  and  are  led  by  the  returning  Heralds  to 
their  places  of  grouping,  amid  the  MARCHING  SONG  of 
THE  CHORUS.) 

THE  CHORUS* 

Hail,  0  Light  of  All  Hearts 

Shining  as  one  soul, 
Through  the  storm  of  battle 

Guiding  to  our  goal! 
Cloud  of  Wrong  surrounds  us, 

Dark  of  Hate  and  Ire: 
Forward  guide  us! 
Forward  guide  us 

With  your  hallow' d  fire! 

Sing,  O  Voice  of  All  Hearts 

Choral  in  one  cry! 
Sing  above  the  battle 

Where  your  peoples  lie! 
In  that  mighty  paean 

Moan  of  pain  shall  cease: 
Onward  call  us! 
Onward  call  us 

To  the  world's  release! 


*  To   the    Music   by   Arthur    Sullivan    for    "  Onward,    Christian 
Soldiers." 

41 


EPILOGUE 
(The  Roll  Call) 

DURING  this  Chorus,  CHILDREN-HERALDS  in 
pageant  regalia  have  formed  a  cordon  com 
pletely  surrounding  the  Audience,  as  with  a 
red-and-white  garland. 

And  now,  as  the  Chorus  ceases,  and  the  grouping 
spaces  of  the  PAGEANTS  gleam  in  massed  glory 
around  her  where  she  stands  at  the  centre,  ALL 
HEARTS  calls  to  the  Audience  and  Participants. 

ALL   HEARTS 

Pilgrims  of  the  Red  Cross! 
You,  whom  Courage  and  Love 
Mercy  and  Reason  convoke  here 
Now  at  my  calling ! 

Wakeners  of  a  new  world! 
Wakers — who  yet  can  dream, 
And  through  the  day  still  carry 
Visions  of  starlight. 

We — you  and  I,  you  and  I — 
We  ourselves,  must  still  dream 
And  organize  this  starry 
Masque  of  tomorrow. 

42 


THE    ROLL    CALL 


We  are  not  near  the  end 
But  the  beginning:    There — 
Out  there — in  his  blinded  rage,  still 
Roams  the  Despoiler, 

Rankling  with  hate;  and  out  there — 
Under  some  unknown  star — 
Brooding  on  ruined  lands,  Peace 
Yearns  for  his  children. 

We,  then — we — you  and  I — 
Each  of  us — one  and  all — 
None  too  poor  or  discouraged, 
Weak,  or  too  weary — 

Old,  disillusioned, — or  young, 
Reckless  of  misery — none 
But  each  shall  act  his  part,  and 
Sharing  with  All  Hearts — 

Join  our  conspiracy,  still 
Back  from  the  doors  of  Peace, 
Forth  from  the  house  of  life,  to 
Drive  the  Despoiler. 

Join,  then,  actors  of  truth ! 
Pledge  me  your  names  and  your  vows ! 
Join  our  Red  Cross,  to  the  kindling 
Drums  of  my  roll  call! 

w^  to  the  roar  of  DRUMS,  the  HERALDS  make  signal; 
the  cordon  of  encircling  CHILDREN  answer  with  a  joy 
ous  shout  of  "  ALL  HEARTS  !  "  and,  raising  their  enroll 
ment  blanks,  enroll  the  AUDIENCE  and  PARTICIPANTS, 
while  the  SINGERS  renew  their  final  Chorus.) 

43 


THE  ROLL  CALL 


THE  CHORUS 

Hail,  O  Love  of  All  Hearts 

Bound  in  one  desire 
'Gainst  the  World  Despoiler 

Henceforth  to  conspire! 
Lead  us  with  your  song-light 

Each  to  serve  the  whole: 
Godward  lead  us! 
Godward  lead  us, 

Godward — to  our  goal! 

FINIS 


44 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

INSTRUCTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS 
BY  PERCY  MACKAYE 

I.  COMMUNITY  SONG-OVERTURE 

For  practical  considerations  of  assembling  the  audience, 
as  well  as  for  enlarged  opportunities  for  local  community 
choruses,  it  is  desirable  that  some  appropriate  Overture  of 
Choral  Song  should  precede  the  performance  of  the 
Masque. 

The  selection  of  songs  for  such  Overture  may  well  be 
left  to  the  discretion  of  local  producers  and  organizers, 
with  this  suggested  caution,  that  all  selections  used,  though 
they  should  doubtless  be  popular  and  familiar,  should  pre 
serve  the  essential  spirit  of  the  Red  Cross,  which  is  one 
of  consecration  to  service;  and  their  sequence  should  be 
so  arranged  as  to  lead  the  mood  of  the  audience  toward 
direct  receptivity  to  the  opening  chorus  of  the  Masque 
Prelude  ("The  Chorus  of  Womanhood"),  which  sets  the 
key  of  the  first  Action. 

The  time  limit  of  the  Overture,  moreover,  should  be 
gauged  to  last  as  long  as,  but  no  longer  than,  the  time 
practical  for  thoroughly  assembling  anid  seating  the  aud 
ience,  for  no  interruptions  of  the  action,  due  to  seating 
arrangements,  should  be  allowed  after  the  Masque  has 
begun.  The  Overture  would  thus  normally  last  not  more 
than  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 

Under  no  consideration  should  any  other  form  of  pro 
gram,  or  "  entertainment,"  be  substituted  for  community 
singing  as  Overture. 

II.  COMMUNITY  SONG-FINALE 

The  Chorus  of  the  Masque  Epilogue  ("  The  Chorus  of 
All  Hearts"),  to  the  stirring  tune  of  Onward  Christian 

45 


INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  MASQUE 

Soldiers,  is  designed  to  stimulate  all  those  assembled  to 
the  direct  purpose  and  practical  consummation  of  the 
Masque — the  enrolling  of  new  members  under  the  Red 
Cross. 

With  this  purpose  in  view,  whatever  song-selections  may 
be  made,  by  local  producers,  for  enlarging  this  Epilogue 
into  a  finale  of  community  singing,  should  not  only  pre 
serve  but  enhance  the  mood  of  exalted  enthusiasm  stirred 
by  the  music  of  Onward  Christian  Soldiers.  The  time- 
limit  will,  of  course,  be  gauged  by  the  numbers  assembled, 
and  by  the  time  needed  for  the  delegated  Children  Heralds 
of  the  Junior  Workers,  and  others,  to  record  the  pledges 
or  enrollments  of  the  maximum  number  of  the  audience. 

III.  INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  MASQUE 

The  object  of  this  Appendix  (which  is  prepared  at  the 
request  of  the  Red  Cross  authorities  in  Washington)  is 
to  provide  local  producers  with  such  brief  essential  sugges 
tions  and  instructions  as  a  personal  conference  with  the 
author  and  scenic  designer  might  lead  to.  Printed  state 
ments  are  never  adequate  substitutes  for  spoken  questions 
and  answers,  but  since  in  this  case  there  is  no  better  alter 
native,  the  printed  suggestions  here  given  are  submitted 
with  the  hope  that  they  may  be  to  some  degree  helpful. 

This  Masque  is  not  a  play  for  Naturalism  to  interpret 
in  realistic  ways,  nor  a  pageant  for  Allegory  to  clothe  in 
merely  decorative  forms.  It  is  a  symbolic  drama  for  Imag 
ination  to  interpret,  through  insight  into  elemental  human 
passions,  by  appropriate  expression  of  these  in  sensuous 
images  and  rhythmic  cadences  to  the  eye  and  ear. 

Very  subordinately,  Naturalism  will  be  utilized  by  the 
discreet  actor  in  rendering  emotions  with  elemental  sim 
plicity.  Less  subordinately,  Allegory  will  take  on  its  ap 
propriate  emphasis  at  the  hands  of  a  producer  with  a 
sense  of  interpretive  decoration,  especially  in  relation  to 
the  only  Figures  of  the  Masque  proper  which  are  allegori 
cal  merely — the  four  Heralds  of  the  Ninth  and  Tenth 
Actions. 

46 


PRODUCTION 


Throughout,  in  speech,  movement,  groupings,  pauses, 
lightings,  the  aim  of  the  interpretive  director  will  be  to 
produce  a  rhythmic  harmony  of  sound,  color  and  plastic 
visualizing,  all  breathing  one  consecrated  mood — the  mood 
of  its  theme.  So  he  will  interpret  the  Masque  by  means 
of  the  same  impersonal  spirit  which  gave  it  inception  and 
form  in  the  dramatist's  mind. 

This  spirit,  impersonal  though  it  be,  is  not  therefore 
impassionate.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  emotion  which  seeks 
constant  release  in  rhythmic  expression.  For  this  reason 
the  Masque  is  of  its  nature  in  verse — verse,  the  cadences 
of  which  are  part  and  portion  of  the  thought  and  emotion 
to  be  expressed. 

The  verse,  then,  is  not  accidental.  It  is,  of  course,  not 
blank  verse.  Even  if  it  were  unrhymed,  it  would  not  be. 
It  must  not,  therefore,  be  scanned  or  spoken  as  blank  verse. 
If  that  is  done,  the  effect  will  be  very  damaging  to  the 
whole  production.  It  will,  I  think,  easily  and  naturally 
speak  itself,  if  the  actor  will  not  take  pains  to  construe  it 
other  than  it  is. 

With  these  general  considerations  suggested,  let  us  take 
up  the  sequence  of  the  Masque,  and  touch  informally  upon 
such  details  of  its  production  as  may  seem  pertinent  from 
the  dramatist-producer's  standpoint. 

IV.  PRODUCTION 

Prelude:  Here  the  mood  of  the  lighting  and  of  the 
music  is,  of  course,  one  and  the  same — a  pensive,  ominous 
foreshadowing  of  the  Action  to  follow. 

First  Action:  At  the  option  and  experiment  of  the  pro 
ducer,  the  Mother  may  already  have  entered  to  the  soft, 
foot- fall  cadence  of  the  Prelude  Music  (in  the  slit  of  dim 
light  through  the  doors  ajar),  taking  her  position  by  the 
central  seat;  and  now — to  the  drums'  first  murmur — the 
Daughters  enter,  approach  on  either  side,  and  speak  through 
the  lessening  murmur,  which  ceases  entirely  at  the  words 
of  the  Mother :  "  We  hear  it  die  where  our  hope  de 
parts." 

47 


PRODUCTION 


Utter  simplicity  and  lack  of  self-consciousness  cannot 
be  too  much  emphasized  in  the  acting  of  every  character 
in  the  Masque — in  the  Mother,  above  all. 

In  her,  the  austerity  of  sorrow,  though  passionate,  is 
usually  suppressed,  except  in  her  outburst  of  appeal  to 
the  Despoiler  in  Action  III,  and  the  last  part  of  her  first 
speech  in  Action  IV.  After  her  meeting  with  the  Sons  in 
Action  VI,  her  repression  changes  to  a  growing  release  of 
expression. 

In  this  First  Action,  the  Young  Woman  is  also  austere 
and  repressed,  but  the  Young  Girl  expresses  still  a  buoy 
ancy  and  hope,  only  partly  seared  by  the  branding  mark  of 
the  Despoiler. 

The  drums  will  require  careful  rehearsal  and  expert 
drummers.  Their  cue  for  commencing  must  be  exact,  the 
response  simultaneous,  and  the  rolling  continuous  in  its 
ensemble  rise  and  fall,  with  no  sense  of  individual  drum 
beats.  The  drummers  are  concealed,  not  only  behind  the 
scenes,  but  at  well-spaced  intervals  (curtained  off,  or  in 
outer  galleries,  if  available),  surrounding  the  entire  aud 
ience. 

Second  Action:  Nowhere  in  the  Masque  should  dra 
matic  action  be  physically  strenuous.  In  this  scene,  let 
Terror  and  Rapine  exhibit  no  heroics  of  villainy.  Terror 
glides;  his  glance  and  the  touch  of  his  hand  are  sufficient 
for  the  flight  of  the  Young  Woman.  Rapine  has  much 
more  physical  force  of  gesture,  but  no  occasion  to  use  it 
in  struggle,  for  the  Young  Girl  has  swooned  just  before 
he  seizes  her.  He  carries  her  off  bodily,  but  with  only  a 
terrible  instant  of  the  suggestion  of  physical  force. 

Hunger  and  Hate  move  with  a  silent  inevitability — 
timed  with  equality  of  movement  to  reach  the  Mother  at 
the  centre. 

The  scene  is  one  of  spell-bound  action.  The  Children 
do  not  scream;  a  low  sobbing  in-take  of  breath,  almost 
immediately  stifled  by  Hate  and  Hunger,  who  draw  them 
away,  almost  unresisting :  that  is  all. 

The   definite   stage-effect  of  the  Black   Shadow   of   the 

4S 


PRODUCTION 


Despoiler,  before  his  appearance,  is  important  and  should 
not  be  omitted. 

Third  Action:  In  the  interpretation  of  the  Despoiler 
the  actor  is  referred  to  the  preliminary  general  suggestions. 
A  too  obvious,  and  wrong,  way  to  act  the  part  would  be 
to  invest  it  with  a  roaring  realism.  A  mistaken  antidote 
to  that  would  be  to  act  it  with  a  repressed  naturalism.  For 
the  part  is  one  neither  to  be  ranted  nor  suppressed. 

The  Despoiler  is  a  part  at  once  passionate  and  symbolical. 
In  his  bodyguards,  Terror,  Rapine,  Hate  and  Hunger,  are 
projected  single  intense  elements  of  him;  but  he  himself 
comprises  and  fuses  these  and  more — attributes  of  intellect 
as  well  as  of  passion — into  a  kind  of  monstrous  humanity, 
warped  in  vision  but  large  and  imaginative  in  faculties 
grown  horribly  awry. 

At  times,  therefore,  he  expresses  himself  with  a  kind  of 
imagery  and  feeling  which  would  be  quite  unnatural  to 
an  "  out-Heroding  "  interpretation  of  the  part,  but  which 
are  wholly  in  keeping  with  the  imaginative  monster  he  is 
by  nature.  This  is  especially  to  be  noted  in  his  dialogue 
with  the  Mother  in  Action  VII,  in  which  the  subconscious 
influence  of  All  Hearts — after  she  has  entered  into  his 
dwelling — makes  its  momentary  impress  upon  a  nature 
plastic  to  poetry  even  in  its  cruelty,  and  affects  both  his 
speech  and  action  in  that  scene. 

Fourth  Action:  The  forms  of  Pestilence,  Pain  and  Pov 
erty  have  been  seated  till  now  in  the  front  row  of  the 
Chorus,  concealed  by  wearing  the  Chorus  over-garment, 
which  they  drop  off  when  the  music  commences.  All 
Hearts,  who  has  been  seated  with  them,  also  drops  off 
her  Chorus  over-garment,  but  retains  still  her  gray  shroud. 

Details  of  the  Tableau  of  the  Despoiler  are  indicated  by 
Mr.  Jones'  illustration. 

The  Red  Cross  appearance  in  this  action  is  not  the  same 
as  Action  IX.  In  this  action  the  appearance  is  of  a  smaller 
cross,  mysterious  in  lighting,  emerging  as  from  the  air, 
at  right,  three-quarters  down  stage,  and  about  fifteen  feet 
above  it.  There  it  grows  in  brightness  with  the  music. 

49 


PRODUCTION 


In  Action  IX  the  appearance  is  sudden,  great  in  scale, 
from  above  the  Doorway. 

As  this  is  probably  the  first  time  that  sung  words  have 
been  provided  for  the  Twentieth  Prelude  and  Marche 
Funebre  of  Chopin,  local  chorus  leaders  (for  purposes  of 
the  Masque  in  the  immediate  future)  will  themselves  ar 
range  the  part-singing  for  the  Marche  Funebre,  which  is 
for  mixed  voices — from  which  the  soprano  solo  emerges 
without  interruption  in  the  flow  of  the  music. 

The  music,  together  with  the  chorus  words,  will  however 
shortly  be  published.  Information  concerning  it  may  be 
obtained  from  the  National  Headquarters  of  the  American 
Red  Cross,  as  stated  in  the  Announcements  at  the  end  of 
this  volume. 

Fifth  Action:  All  Hearts,  after  having  put  off  her 
shroud  at  the  moment  of  revealing  the  Red  Cross,  resumes 
it  again  in  the  darkness.  , 

The  rendering  of  the  part  of  All  Hearts  is,  of  course, 
vitally  important  to  the  projection  of  the  whole  Masque 
in  the  spirit  befitting  the  Red  Cross. 

In  that  spirit,  which  is  hers,  "  all  mercies  work  as  one." 
In  her,  those  more  buoyant  and  tender  qualities  of  the 
Mother-Love,  which  are  partly  repressed  in  the  tragic  role 
of  the  Mother,  should  have  full  scope.  Much  care  should 
therefore  be  taken  in  choosing  for  the  part  a  woman  prefer 
ably  not  too  young,  yet  imbued  with  a  radiant  and  youthful 
charm  of  loving-kindness,  which  shall  project  its  influence 
through  the  Masque  to  the  entire  assembly. 

Sixth  Action:  To  suggest  the  universality  of  the 
Mother,  it  will  be  appropriate  and  advisable  to  costume 
the  Sons  in  uniforms  of  some  of  the  Allied  nations,  as 
for  instance :  The  Soldier — French,  in  light  blue ;  the 
Sailor — Italian  or  English;  the  Aviator — American.  The 
costume  of  the  Laborer  should  suggest  a  universal  symbol 
of  Labor.  The  actors  of  these  four  roles  should  be  cau 
tioned  against  any  overplaying  of  their  parts  in  excessive 
physical  action. 

50 


PLATE  7 


ALL  HEARTS 


PRODUCTION 


Seventh  Action:  The  amazement  of  the  Despoiler  in 
this  scene  is  touched  with  a  sense  of  the  supernatural — 
almost  dreamy  in  its  imaginative  gropings  for  the  cause  of 
the  transformations  he  has  witnessed. 

The  long  swords  of  the  Sons  are  brought  by  them  from 
their  shadowed  place  of  hiding  now  for  the  first  time. 
They  have  not  carried  swords  until  now. 

Eighth  Action:  The  groups  of  the  Pities  in  the  Tableau 
of  All  Hearts  may  well  be  acted  by  children  of  the  Junior 
Red  Cross  Workers,  as  also  the  Children  Heralds  in  the 
Epilogue. 

Ninth  Action:  When  the  Despoiler  starts  toward  the 
centre  of  the  Vision,  in  local  productions  where  instan 
taneous  darkness  may  be  difficult  to  achieve,  the  Tableau 
may  be  shut  off  by  the  closing  of  the  doors  instead. 

Not  until  her  cry  of  "  Ah,  my  Daughters !"  does  the 
Mother  see  the  Girl  and  Young  Woman,  who  have  fol 
lowed  All  Hearts.  They,  when  they  go  to  her  caress, 
remain  grouped  with  the  Mother  and  the  two  Children  by 
the  central  seat,  during  the  Epilogue. 

Tenth  Action:  At  the  climax  of  their  roll  call,  the 
Drummers  (as  well  as  the  Trumpeters  of  Action  VIII) 
may  appear  in  costume,  with  other  Participants — the  sides 
of  their  drums  being  covered  with  cloth  of  red. 

The  organizing  and  marshalling  of  the  pageant-groups 
of  Red  Cross  Workers  comprise  processional  movements 
and  decorative  massings.  For  these,  all  four  aisles,  the 
ground-space,  the  steps  and  the  stage  itself  may  be  util 
ized  according  to  the  numbers  participating. 

The  order  and  sequence  of  the  groups  are  suggested  (in 
the  list  of  Persons  and  Groups  and  the  Insignia  Designs) 
under  the  four  Herald  Leaders,  Courage  (Overseas  Divi 
sion  and  Sub-Groups),  Mercy  (Nurses  and  Sub-Groups), 
Reason  (Active  Service  and  Sub-Groups),  Love  (Produc 
tion  and  Sub-Groups). 

Epilogue:  The  Children-Heralds  will  here  perform  a 
very  important,  practical  function,  not  only  by  forming 


PRODUCTION 


their  cordon  which  holds  the  audience  till  their  names  and 
memberships  are  pledged,  but  also  by  delegating  from  their 
body  those  who  will  go  among  the  audience  to  obtain  the 
signatures  to  enrollment  blanks. 

This  function  should  be  thoroughly  organized  and  re 
hearsed  beforehand  by  local  directors. 

All  Hearts,  in  her  appeal,  will  stand  at  a  central  position 
at  the  top  of  the  steps. 

As  stated  in  the  suggestions  regarding  a  community 
Song-Finale,  the  ceremony  of  enrolment  will  doubtless  con 
tinue  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  close  of  the  Masque 
proper,  during  the  singing  of  further  song-selections  by 
the  Chorus. 

At  the  end  of  the  Song-Finale,  under  no  consideration 
should  the  persons  in  the  Masque  or  the  Participating 
Groups  be  left  to  break  up  in  chaotic  confusion  for  their 
departure.  All  those  in  costume  (except  those  engaged  in 
the  function  of  enrolment)  should  withdraw  in  well-ordered 
Recessional,  to  the  singing  of  the  Chorus  (in  which  they 
themselves  may  join),  and  not  disband  until  after  they 
have  withdrawn  entirely  from  the  place  of  assembly. 

This  should  be  carefully  kept  in  mind  from  the  begin 
ning,  and  provided  for  by  adequate  rehearsals  of  the  Ban 
ner  Bearers,  in  conjunction  with  the  chief  Persons  in  the 
Masque  proper. 

Mr.  Robert  Edmond  Jones,  with  whom  I  have  already 
been  happily  associated  in  the  production  and  book-making 
of  two  of  my  Masques  ("  Caliban  "  and  "  The  Evergreen 
Tree")  and  a  new  play  ("Washington")  has  prepared 
the  designs  for  settings  and  costumes  of  this  Masque. 

His  Notes  upon  them  follow  in  this  Appendix. 

After  conference  with  me  regarding  the  first  pro 
duction  of  the  Masque  in  Washington  the  director 
of  that  production,  Mr.  Irving  Pichel  (who  was  As 
sistant  Director  of  the  productions  of  "  Caliban "  at  the 
City  College  Stadium,  New  York,  and  at  the  Harvard 
Stadium,  Cambridge)  has  prepared  further  notes  on  prac- 

52 


PRODUCTION 


tical  details  of  the  Masque's  production,  which  also  are 
contained  in  the  following  pages. 

For  purposes  of  record  in  this  field  of  community  drama, 
it  is  requested  that  producers  of  this  Masque  will  kindly 
forward  copies  of  their  programmes  and  press  notices  of 
their  productions,  in  duplicate,  one  copy  to  the  Red  Cross 
Christmas  Roll  Call,  Washington,  D.  C,  and  one  copy  to  the 
author  at  the  address  below. 

PERCY  MACKAYE. 

Harvard  Club,  New  York; 
20th  October,  1918, 


S3 


INSTRUCTIONS  AND  SUGGESTIONS. 

BY  ROBERT  EDMOND  JONES. 
I.  COSTUMES  AND  MASKS. 

Productions  of  "  The  Roll  Call "  in  different  parts  of  the 
country  will  vary  enormously  according  to  the  varying  phys 
ical  and  imaginative  resources  of  different  communities.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  more  practical  these  printed  suggestions 
can  be,  the  better.  Out  of  this  raw  material  the  local  pro 
ducer  can  create  as  he  wishes. 

Roughly,  the  Masque  is  thought  of  as  a  scheme  of  four 
colors — red,  white,  grey  and  black.  Keep  clearly  in  mind 
the  contrast  between  the  rusty  red  of  The  Despoiler  and 
the  clear  scarlet  of  the  Red  Cross. 

The  Mother:  flowing  drapery  of  soft  black;  long  veil  of 
thin  dark-grey,  worn  over  a  veil  of  pale  grey. 

The  Despoiler:  a  figure  of  copper  and  black ;  black  short- 
sleeved  shirt,  trunks  and  hood ;  breast-plate  and  many-spiked 
helmet  of  papier-mache  painted  to  imitate  copper;  sandals 
and  thongs  of  scarlet  leather;  thick  heavy  cloak  of  rust-red 
felt  (or  substitute)  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  semi-circle.  After 
his  last  appearance  the  helmet  is  cast  asiide. 
.  Daughter.  The  design  labelled  Daughter  represents  The 
Girl:  long  flowing  dress  of  soft  grey  with  mark  of  the  De- 
spoiler  in  rust-red.  The  Young  Woman  wears  a  grey  band 
about  her  hair.  In  the  Tableau  of  All  Hearts  and  after, 
band  and  handmark  are  removed. 

The  Sons.  No  drawing  of  these  is  given  because  Sailor, 
Soldier  and  Aviator  will  wear  some  form  of  the  uniform 
of  the  Allies.  These  uniforms,  however,  should  be  sim 
plified  to  the  greatest  degree  possible  by  eliminating  all  de 
tails  of  trappings,  giving  chief  emphasis  to  color.  The 
laborer  would  best  wear  a  kind  of  Russian  smock — suggest 
ing  a  Laborer  of  the  world  instead  of  any  particular  country. 

All  Hearts:  a  Giottoesque  figure,  naive  and  slight  and  sim 
ple;  a  wreath  of  rosebuds  in  her  fair  hair;  long  dress  of 

54 


COSTUMES    AND    MASKS 


clinging  white,  long  sleeves,  high  waist,  round  neck ;  a  cross 
of  red  enamel  is  worn  as  a  locket. 

Child  (Boy  and  Girl)  :  bare  arms  and  legs:  minimum  of 
underclothing;  in  First  Action,  soiled  white  rags  bearing 
mark  of  Despoiler;  in  Ninth  Action,  smocks  of  the  same 
clinging  stuff,  but  clean  and  white. 

Terror:  something  gray,  tightly  bound,  wraith-like;  one 
fleshless  hand  stifles  a  scream.  More  than  any  other  panto 
mimic  character,  the  effect  of  Terror's  pantomime  will  de 
pend  on  choosing  an  actor  of  imagination. 

Rapine:  half  bull,  half  alligator;  scales  of  rust-red  cloth 
sewed  on  a  rust-red  union-suit;  heavy  clanging  hoofs  of 
brass ;  a  bull's-hide  tied  about  the  neck. 

Hunger:  a  blindfolded,  groping  thing  nearly  naked,  with 
flesh  stained  gray  like  the  gray  rags  it  wears.  The  hands 
and  arms  are  tightly  bandaged  with  white  gauze.  The  im 
personator  should  be  thin,  almost  emaciated. 

Hate:  a  dwarf,  part  condor,  part  rat;  a  gray  union-suit 
dyed  rust-red  on  arms  and  legs ;  long  rust-red  pointed  shoes ; 
spurs  and  Chinese  nail-guards  of  white;  a  great  pointed 
hump. 

Pestilence:  underdress  of  dull  red;  large  veil  of  clotted 
gray  and  red  over  face ;  no  features. 

Pain:  a  thin  tortured  figure  in  dull  purple  with  the  scarlet 
of  fresh  blood. 

Poverty:  silvery  gray  rags,  gray  flesh;  long  flowing  wig 
of  coarse  gray-black  horsehair. 

Heralds:  ordinary  running  costume  of  white  with  the  Red 
Cross  on  the  breast;  wreath  of  gold  laurel;  streamers  of 
thin  fluttering  red  and  white  hang  from  arms  and  shoulders. 
Choose  splendid  physiques. 

Child  Spirit  of  Pity:  a  scarlet  surplice ;  bare  arms  and  legs. 

Chorus:  a  red  surplice  with  the  Red  Cross  on  a  white 
ellipse,  front  and  back ;  a  red  clinging  veil  with  white  band. 

Make  the  Masks  of  papier-mache  or  buckram  over  wire 
frames.  Model  them  sharply  and  clearly  so  that  they  will 

55 


SETTING  AND  LIGHTING 


take  strong  high  lights  and  deep  shadows.  Keep  them  large 
and  simple  and  serene.  Let  their  wearers  rehearse  carefully 
and  discover  for  themselves  how  the  method  of  acting  in 
masks  differs  from  acting  without  masks  in  rendering  its 
own  essential  effects. 

II.  SETTING  AND  LIGHTING. 

Keep  the  setting  large  and  simple,  with  an  entire  absence 
of  detail.  If  need  be,  grey  curtains  may  be  substituted  for 
the  side  walls.  Make  the  center  doorway  massive,  the  doors 
thick  and  heavy  in  appearance.  The  idoors  must  swing 
easily  and  noiselessly;  their  opening  and  closing  will  be 
contrived  from  behind  the  scenes,  at  cues.  The  first  tableau 
is  grouped  in  front  of  a  black  curtain;  the  second,  in  front 
of  a  white  curtain. 

In  lighting,  think  of  the  masque  as  a  masque  of  moving 
sculpture  wherein  the  human  form  is  as  important  as  the 
face. 

Focus  light  on  the  people ;  do  not  focus  it  on  the  setting, 
which  will  always  take  on  a  charm  of  light  and  shadow 
through  reflected  light. 

New  York,  October  21,  1918. 


PLATE  13 


OVERSEAS 


I.  (COURAGE) 

ACTIVE  SERVICE 


NURSES 


IT.  (MERCY) 

PRODUCTION 


III.  (REASON)  IV.  (LOVE) 

PAGEANT  INSIGNIA  I 
MAIN  DIVISIONS 

57 


PLATE  14 


59 


PRODUCTION  NOTES 

BY  IRVING  PICHEL 

To  produce  "  The  Roll  Call "  effectively,  it  will  be  neces 
sary  to  divide  the  responsibility  for  its  preparation  among 
a  number  of  people.  Each  one  of  these  will  be  in  charge  of 
a  definite  department  of  the  preparatory  work,  free  to  ap 
point  or  recruit  such  assistants  as  he  may  need.  For  chap 
ters  or  groups  inexperienced  in  the  production  of  masques, 
the  following  suggestions  for  a  form  of  organization  may  be 
found  of  value. 

As  soon  as  it  has  been  decided  to  present  the  masque,  an 
officer  of  the  chapter  should  be  appointed  as  Managing 
Director.  He  is  to  be  the  responsible  business  head  of  the 
undertaking.  He  will  authorize  all  expenditures,  see  that 
the  publicity  is  taken  care  of,  that  the  auditorium  is  secured, 
that  programs  and  tickets  are  printed, — in  short,  attend  to 
all  matters  not  relating  to  the  actual  staging  of  the  masque. 
He  may,  of  course,  appoint  assistants  to  take  charge  of 
various  details,  all  of  them  directly  responsible  to  him. 

In  immediate  and  complete  charge  of  the  staging  of  the 
masque  should  be  the  Masque  Director,  a  person,  if  possible, 
experienced  in  rehearsing  plays.  His  aides  may  be  as  fol 
lows : 

A  Stage-Manager,  whose  duty  it  is  to  prompt  at  re 
hearsals  and  performances,  to  see  that  the  orders  of  the 
Director  are  being  executed,  and  to  assist  the  Director  in 
all  ways  necessary. 

A  Chorus  Leader,  to  recruit,  rehearse  and  conduct  the 
community  chorus,  and  to  rehearse  the  orchestra,  if  one  is 
used. 

An  Assistant  to  recruit  players  for  the  principal  parts  and 
for  the  groups.  The  actual  selection  of  the  players,  how 
ever,  should  be  left  to  the  Director  after  they  have  been 
tried  in  the  parts. 

A  Wardrobe  Mistress,  responsible  for  the  making  of  the 
costumes,  and  for  their  care  during  performances. 

A  Chief  Mechanic,  who  will  attend  to  the  construction 
of  the  stage  and  scenery. 

61 


AUDITORIUM,  STAGE  AND  PROPERTIES 

An  Electrician,  who,  with  his  assistants,  will  install  the 
proper  lights  and  operate  them  during  performances. 

A  Property  Master,  who  will  procure,  make,  or  have 
made,  all  needed  properties,  see  that  they  are  in  the  hands 
of  the  players  at  performances,  and  care  for  them.  The 
property  department  also  operates  off-stage  sounds  and 
effects  other  than  electrical.  A  list  of  properties  for  "  The 
Roll  Call "  will  be  found  below. 

As  the  effects,  scenery  and  properties  of  "  The  Roll  Call  " 
are  all  quite  simple,  most  of  this  work  can  be  done  by  volun 
teers.  Wherever  possible,  somebody  experienced  in  stage 
lighting  should  have  charge  of  the  lights,  and  the  person  in 
charge  of  the  execution  of  the  costumes  should  know  some 
thing  of  materials  and  of  dyeing.  But  the  making  of  them 
can  be  done  by  the  workers  of  any  Red  Cross  workroom. 

The  Auditorium  and  Stage. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  the  masque  be  given  in  a  theatre 
or  in  an  auditorium  with  a  stage.  None  of  the  usual  stage 
machinery,  drop  curtains,  footlights,  border  lights,  etc.,  are 
required.  The  masque  may  be  acted  in  any  large  room  at 
one  end  of  which  a  platform  has  been  erected.  With  the 
exception  of  the  great  doors  at  the  back  and  the  smaller 
entrances  at  either  side,  none  of  the  scenery  requires  the 
services  of  a  professional  carpenter. 

The  stage,  if  it  has  to  be  built,  should  be  at  least  two  and 
a  half  feet  higher  than  the  floor  of  the  hall,  reached  by  five 
or  six  steps. 

Properties. 

The  following  properties  are  required : 
Dais. 
Seat. 

Lanterns  above  right  and  left  gates. 
Standard  for  the  Despoiler  (see  design). 
Standards  for  Courage,  Reason,  Mercy,  and  Love  (See 

design). 

Swords  for  Soldier,  Sailor,  Aviator,  and  Laborer. 
Standards  for  pageant  groups  of  Red  Cross  workers 
(See  designs). 

62 


LIGHTING    EQUIPMENT 


A  gong. 
A  taper. 
Drums. 
Trumpets. 

Behind  the  doors,  two  platforms,  the  same  height,  but 
one  of  them  smaller  than  the  other.  The  smaller  is 
set  upon  the  larger. 

The  hilts  of  the  four  swords  should  be  cross-shaped,  and 
should  be  constructed  especially.  Have  a  tinsmith  make 
them  of  galvanized  iron,  in  the  form  of  a  cross-shaped  box 
without  a  lid.  The  inside  of  the  box  should  be  silvered  so 
that  it  becomes  a  reflector.  The  electrician  should  then 
mount  in  them  a  number  of  miniature  electric  light  bulbs 
such  as  are  used  in  pocket  flash-lamps.  The  surface  of  the 
box  is  to  be  made  of  red  glass.  The  lamps  should  be  con 
nected  by  wires  with  batteries  carried  on  the  persons  of  the 
four  Sons. 

The  gong  which  always  accompanies  the  speeches  of  the 
Despoiler  should  be  a  Chinese  gong  or  tam-tam,  procurable 
at  any  store  that  deals  in  musical  instruments.  It  should 
not  be  struck,  but  should  be  shaken  or  vibrated.  If  the 
masque  is  given  in  a  church  or  auditorium  where  there  is  a 
pipe  organ,  this  effect  may  be  supplemented  awesomely  by 
opening  the  lowest  pedal  stop  on  the  instrument. 

The  drummers  should,  wherever  possible,  be  stationed 
all  around  the  auditorium  out  of  sight  of  the  audience. 
They  should  begin  their  rolling  simultaneously,  so  it  will 
be  necessary  to  arrange  for  a  signal  to  be  given  from  the 
stage.  This  can  be  done  simply  by  having  a  number  of  elec 
tric  lights  strung  to  the  places  where  the  drummers  are  con 
cealed.  They  should  be  wired  in  series  and  switched  on 
and  off  from  the  stage.  As  a  cue  approaches,  the  stage- 
manager  turns  on  the  light  as  a  warning.  At  the  cue,  the 
light  is  turned  out. 
Lighting  Equipment. 

It  is  most  desirable  that  the  switchboard  be  equipped  with 
dimmers.  If  they  should  not  be  obtainable,  the  lights  may 
be  "  blinded  off,"  or  gradually  diminished  in  intensity  by 

63 


LIGHTING    EQUIPMENT 


slowly  passing  a  piece  of  cardboard  in  front  of  them.  Use 
nitrogen  lamps  of  high  wattage,  not  arc  lights  or  "  strip 
lights."  If  stage  flood  lamps  and  spot  lamps  are  not  avail 
able,  they  can  be  improvised  out  of  wooden  boxes  of  proper 
size,  lined  with  asbestos.  A  small  wash  basin  at  the  back  of 
the  box  can  be  made  to  serve  as  a  makeshift  reflector.  But 
in  almost  any  town,  D'Oily  holophane  reflectors  can  be 
bought  very  inexpensively.  With  a  little  ingenuity,  a  frame 
can  be  fastened  to  the  front  of  the  reflector  to  hold  the 
color  screens. 

The  best  possible  substitutes  for  spot  lights  and  flood 
lights,  however,  are  automobile  headlights  and  windshield 
spots.  Automobile  lights  cannot  be  burned  on  the  ordinary 
electric  circuit,  and  require  either  storage  batteries  or  a 
transformer.  A  transformer  large  enough  to  carry  six 
automobile  spot  lights  can  be  purchased  for  about  three 
dollars. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  luminous  cross  appears  twice. 
The  first  appearance  should  be  dimmer  and  less  sharp  in 
outline  than  the  second.  The  first  appearance  should  also 
preferably  be  smaller  and  placed  in  front,  above  and  to  the 
stage  right  of  the  central  seat,  but  this  smaller  sized  cross 
is  not  absolutely  essential,  if  local  equipment  is  difficult. 

The  cross  should  be  a  large  box  with  a  transparency 
front.  Inside,  brilliant  lights.  The  box  is  suspended  high 
up  above  the  stage.  In  front  of  it,  reaching  down  toward 
the  center  doors,  a  dark  gauze  may  be  hung,  concealing  the 
cross  from  the  audience.  At  its  first  appearance,  the  lights 
may  be  brought  up  on  the  dimmer  slowly  until  the  cross 
shows  dimly  through  the  gauze.  On  the  second  appearance 
the  lights  are  thrown  on  in  full  brilliance.  If  there  is  no 
dimmer  available,  the  first  appearance  of  the  cross  can  be 
produced  by  projecting  a  cross  on  the  gauze  curtains  by 
means  of  a  stereopticon.  If  the  lens  is  slightly  out  of  focus 
the  outlines  of  the  cross  will  be  blurred  and  the  effect 
visionary. 

(Finis.) 
64 


ANNOUNCEMENT 

All  the  materials  needed  for  produc 
ing  this  masque — except  the  scenic  effects 
and  the  costumes  (designs  for  which  are 
included  in  this  volume) — such  as  copies 
of  the  masque,  the  music,  the  masks  to  he 
worn  by  the  pantomime  characters,  the 
advertising  posters,  the  four-page  general 
announcement  of  the  masque,  will  be  fur 
nished  by  the  National  Headquarters  of 
the  American  Red  Cross  at  cost. 

For  this  material,  address  C.  S.  Clark, 
Executive  Secretary,  Red  Cross  Christmas 
Roll  Call,  Washington,  D.  C. 


ILLIAMS    PBINT1XG    COMPANY,    NEW    TOBK 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


--OCTH 


OCT  061881 


Form  L9-20m-9,'61(C3106s4)444 


.  .-- JHIIIIIILiii 

A  A      000253446    9 


PS 
3525 


